Arabelle knocked on the door three times. The door was pitiful, but she was used to that. Her doors back in her old home were equally poor. Thankfully that life was behind her now. No point in looking back, either. It was time to look forward.
The door knob turned, then the door opened. An older man stood in the room, confusion on his face. He had a speckled grey beard that was a few inches long and hair that was shaggy and unkempt. It would have been amusing if he didn’t seem so haggard.
“May I help you?” The man asked.
“Are you Daniel?” Arabelle asked.
The man opened the door further. “You look familiar. Black hair, strong chin, fierce eyes. Gods, are you Arabelle?”
Arabelle smiled. “We resemble each other that much, huh?”
Daniel laughed. “And listening to him talk about you so much helps, too. Come on in.” He stepped behind the door and waved her inside.
The apartment was tidy and put together, about what Arabelle expected of a wise mentor like Wyn called him. The layout was similar to Wyn’s except there was a hearth in the den and a wall that separated it from the rest of the space. It looked to be more private. She wondered if there was more than one bedroom like Tasha’s place.
She huffed a laugh. No apartment was like Tasha’s. Hers was ridiculous, fitting for a noble.
“Would you like some tea or some food?” Daniel asked. He stood by the wall that separated the den from the rest of the apartment, wearing a simple red robe over basic clothes. It was early evening, and he looked to be settled for a night in rather than going out. Arabelle saw a small table and chairs behind him.
“I’d love some tea, thank you.” She sat on the couch and relaxed. It was comfortable and clean. The room smelled faintly of an herb Arabelle couldn’t quite place, but it was pleasant and subtle. No wonder Wyn liked coming over here to talk.
Daniel came out of the back with a kettle that was steaming. How he got the pot boiling so quickly was beyond her, but she figured there was likely magic involved. He sat it down on a small table along with two cups and saucers. Carefully pouring it, the tea was fragrant and inviting, the smell gently filling her nose.
Wyn needed to take some tips from him for keeping a tidy and welcoming home.
“What brings you by?” Daniel asked. “Not that I mind, of course. If you ever want to come by please don’t hesitate.”
“I appreciate that,” Arabelle said. “But I actually wanted some advice. And Wyn says you’re the person he trusts for advice and that I should trust you, too.”
Daniel smiled warmly. “Yes, yes, he’s quite the person, not to mention Climber. Those are kind words. I am a mentor, of course, but I can help with things outside climbing as well.”
Arabelle took a deep breath and reached into her lapel. It was now or never. She then pulled out a piece of parchment that was folded neatly in half.
Daniel’s smile vanished as his face grew serious. “That’s… that’s a piece of tower parchment.”
“Yes.”
“Is it Wyn’s?”
Arabelle shook her head no.
“Why do you…” he said, trailing off. His eyes went wide at the realization. “It’s what I think it is, isn’t it?”
Arabelle held the paper out for Daniel to take. “If you’re thinking it’s a class sheet, then yes. That’s what it is.”
Daniel slowly took the paper but kept it folded. “Wyn never mentioned you wanted to become a Climber! Was this something you two decided?”
Arabelle opened her mouth to speak but paused. Should she lie? Or tell the truth? Daniel was a trustworthy person, according to her brother. But how much did she want to keep to herself and how much did she want to share?
Daniel scoffed at her. “Your hesitation tells me everything. So he doesn’t know.” Daniel looked at the folded parchment and took a deep breath. “You have to tell him, Arabelle. Regardless of what this paper says. Becoming a Climber is no small decision. It’s not only dangerous, but taxing. Physically and mentally.”
“I know it’s dangerous. But just because it’s dangerous shouldn’t mean I don’t have the right to decide for myself.”
“True, but you need training and time before you can jump into the tower.”
“Did Wyn take time?”
Daniel smiled. “No, he didn’t. But he had years of military training that gave him skills to aid his climbing. Can you say the same?”
Arabelle took a small sip of her tea. It was as delicious as it smelled. “No, I can’t.”
“Okay, then. So, you approach it like the average person coming here to climb without any previous training. You talk to your mentor, practice and train with your class until they say you’re ready.”
“That sounds easy enough.”
Daniel narrowed his eyes. “Actually, why didn’t you just go to your mentor for your class? They should have told you downstairs who it was.”
Arabelle nodded. “They did.”
“And?”
Arabelle pointed to the parchment. “Open it.”
Daniel paused and then carefully opened the parchment. He scanned the text, his eyes widening after a few lines. “You… what? How?”
Arabelle shrugged. “Apparently it was the easiest class to change into. Something about growth traits being anything, so it didn’t matter changing to the class unlike others who got that class and changed away from it. That’s what the woman said, at least.”
“Arabelle, you chose to be a Ruby Magician? No one does that. Why?”
“Did you not see what Wyn did in those trials? That’s why. It didn’t matter what class I got. I knew I was going to that class. His class.”
Daniel looked back at the parchment. He leaned his head side to side, then took a deep breath. “Your skills are pretty good. Different from Wyn’s, but good. At least there are some synergies there already. But you need time to practice with this.”
“I know. It’s a good thing my mentor is going to help guide me.”
Daniel started to speak then paused. He chuckled, then laughed. Arabelle just smiled and sipped her tea.
*****
For the second time in as many days, Wyn found himself on the outskirts of the residential district. It was a pleasant day, at least, with the wind gently stirring up the dirt on the road and grass swaying in the fields around the large homes. The road itself was well-packed, and there wasn’t much loose dirt at all. It was likely due to the carts and wagons that travelled as much as feet, which were consistently passing them on the road. At least the road itself was as wide as a normal, well traveled road where three wagons could ride side by side if needed.
Faye walked with the group of five, and she explained during their leisure walk to the Twilight Blade’s guild house that the main road was the primary means of connection between the guild houses and residential homes of the city’s citizens. They lived further to the north of the city, around the grassy fields and where a small amount of farming took place though most of the land was empty and spacious. The primary means of economy in the city was trade, both in mundane and magical goods, not production. It made the city more prosperous as caravans and merchants often visited, allowing the borders of the main hub of the city to be as splendid as some very wealthy noble land.
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Unfortunately it also meant the guild house was further than the typical Climber apartment where the five currently resided. Instead of taking around five minutes of a walk to the tower, a walk here meant took about half an hour. Faye explained that guilds typically used wagons for transport, as they didn’t want to walk the entire way in their equipment. There was plenty of that inside the tower as it was.
Still, the walk was pleasant, and before long they made it to the grounds of their new guild and home.
The house itself was more of a small castle, but that was true for most of the guild houses. It wasn’t quite like the Defender’s large home, but they also held the most number of Climbers in their guild. This one looked more modest though was still impressive. It was two stories like most of the houses around but wide and long with likely many rooms and several wings. The front of the house held a large, open cobblestone area that was inviting if not plain. The entrance was a short ways away from the road, but the land around it was open with the back of the house completely open to a large grassy field. Similarly placed houses sat before and after the Twilight Blade’s building, and Wyn assumed they had planned for the structures long ago. Each house neighbored another with only a short hedge fence separating the actual plots, though what land each house did have was still far more than needed.
It wasn’t a farm, but it was far better. It would do nicely.
Gregory and Nigel stood at the entrance, looking down on them. Four wide stairs led up to the large and wide wooden door, and both men stood in front of it.
“Good morning,” Gregory called as the group approached. “I hope Faye didn’t lead you astray too much.”
“Not at all,” Wyn said. “It takes some time to get here, which will take some getting used to.”
“You’ll get used to it fast when you see your wing,” Nigel said, a sly smile plastered on his face. “It makes the trip to Alistair pretty mild in comparison to those slums you’re in now.”
“Just get a covered wagon for bad weather days,” Faye said. “Trust me.”
“Please come in,” Gregory said, opening the door behind him.
Wyn let the others go first, taking a moment to look around. So this would be his new home. It was still surreal. He wondered if he could convince Gregory to let Arabelle stay with them.
The entrance was a short breezeway, adorned with simple paintings on a stone wall. Wyn noticed they were basic art of battles and environments, and wondered if they were of historical significance or just creations of the artist. Just a few steps into the house and the space opened into a two story tall space with a grand staircase that led to the second floor by two paths of stairs, one right and one left. Before the staircase were two halls leading further into the house laid out exactly to the right or left like the stair path above it. And from what Wyn could tell, the only other way to go was a third hall beside the staircase that led straight back into the house.
It was a beautifully built structure, enough that any noble would either be appreciative or jealous.
Gregory and Nigel stood at the bottom of the grand staircase, letting the group take in the setting. They were joined by three people, two women and one man. They wore clothes similar to servants, likely the maids and manager of the house. The women were middle aged, while the man looked to be just a little older than Wyn.
“This is wonderful,” Tasha said.
“High praise from a St. Clair,” Nigel said.
“It’ll do,” Marcy said.
“Aaaaand that sounds about right,” Faye added.
“Let’s go ahead and give you the tour,” Gregory said. “You need to see where you’ll be staying and we need to have our introductory meeting. Nigel and his group have the day off so they’ll be joining us for the meeting, and my group is doing some of our responsibilities for the day. First, though, please meet the caretakers of the house. This is Martha, Patricia, and Justice. Martha and Patricia are the first floor maids while Justice is the house keeper.
Justice stepped forward and gave a proper bow. “It’s a pleasure to meet you all. If you need anything in the house, please find me or ask Martha or Patricia to summon me. I typically work in an office on this floor, and will take care of menial upkeep so that you all don’t have to.”
“Nice to meet you all,” Tasha said. She stepped forward and bowed, which the maids immediately returned. “Are there additional staff?”
“Yes,” Gregory said. “There are two maids for the upstairs and two cooks. A portion of our fees contribute to their wages and they are considered to be members of the guild just like you.”
Wyn thought that was more than generous. They likely made more than any caretakers working for nobles, and he could already tell they were treated well. It was relieving to know the guild seemed every bit respectable as he thought.
“Thank you,” Tasha said, bowing again.
“I’ll leave you all to the tour and see you soon,” Nigel said. “Justice, ladies.” He bowed to everyone and walked towards the hall leading right.
Gregory then led them down the opposite hall to the left. He and Justice led the way while Faye stayed with their group, and Martha and Patricia parted ways.
The wing had a small sitting room immediately upon entering, with several red cushioned chairs and small tables around a small bookshelf. It looked cozy and inviting.
“There are two halls of rooms in each residential wing of the first floor,” Gregory said. “Both of our current groups are on the eastern wing, and you’re the only group on the western. So you’ll have the place to yourself.”
“Didn’t you say you were getting two groups?” Marcy asked.
Gregory paused and slowly nodded his head. “Yes, but the other group we wanted didn’t quite work out.”
“And we aren’t just gonna take whoever,” Faye said. “We didn’t have to take both, we just had the room. At least we got one group, though, right?”
“Absolutely,” John said. “Their loss.”
Gregory continued the tour, leading them down one of the halls there were six spacious bedrooms with dressers and trunks for clothes and items, as well as a small desk beside the bed. At the end of the hall was a huge bathroom with tubs and toilets with sections separated off for modesty. Faye quietly muttered that Marcy and Tasha could also use the other hall’s bathroom for more privacy if they wanted.
After finding his room, Wyn was told they had the day to settle in. They’d be able to secure a wagon to transport their belongings over, and inform the city’s guild that they were now member’s of the Twilight Blades, so if they wanted to be reached they could send messengers or letters there.
Seeing the rest of the house, Wyn was impressed. He didn’t need to go upstairs, since that was the residence of the two third tour groups. But the primary hall past the grand staircase held the majority of the house. There was the dining hall that had rectangular, wooden tables and chairs that could fit an entire group, and a large hearth was situated on the side wall with a few items on plaques resting above it. The room was a fancier and cleaner version of the dining hall back at the primary guild.
Gregory also showed them the training room, where two of Nigel’s group members were training. He and Faye introduced them, though they quickly returned to sparring and exercises. They were Rollo, a Sapphire Wizard, and Jocelyn, a Templar. Rollo was quick and doing smaller sprints and running exercises, while Jocelyn was doing strength exercises. In the few minutes they watched while Gregory and Faye talked to them, Wyn could tell they were in peak shape. Jocelyn looked strong and capable, which was needed for her more direct class. That was the second tier class that became what Cal was - a Paladin - and was likely a frontline fighter like him.
Moving on, they next stopped at another important room. The door was metal and large, with a wooden beam serving as a latch at the front reinforced with brackets. It was the most secure door Wyn had seen. It took both Gregory and Faye to use some unknown magic to open, then both were needed to remove the beam and open the door.
Inside, though, was one of the most spectacular sights Wyn ever laid eyes on. The room was the size of a large storage closet, with shelves on the sides and racks on the back. But the contents were items. Dozens of items. Mostly glowing blue with some greens and purple in the mix along with a large sealed chest resting against the back wall.
“This is our vault,” Gregory said. “This is where we keep our valuable items as a guild. You can all keep your own items, of course, but when you contribute to the guild and they’re considered good enough to use later or for possible trades, they’re stored here.”
Wyn peered around the vault. The equipment was a combination of all types of weapons and armor, along with some jewelry on display, books, monster drops, potions, and stacks of paper.
“Are those what I think they are,” Cedric said, pointing to the papers.
Gregory smiled and nodded. “That’s right. Tower-dropped spells. They’re incredibly rare, and we have a mandate that any of them you find must be evaluated and stored here.”
Wyn wondered about the possibility of obtaining more unique spells to use. He could really find his niche with that, but he pushed the thought away for now. They weren’t going anywhere being in the vault, and he still wanted to see how his new style played out under the new direction of the guild.
Gregory led them to their final stop, which was a large study. There was a long table set in the middle with shelves of books, papers, quills and ink, as well as a few chairs. The table was obviously meant for papers and standing room only. This was their version of a war room to discuss tactics.
“The last thing I’ll leave you with will be your introductory fee and expectations while being a member. The upfront cost is 250 gold crowns, with a monthly expectation of 50 crowns per tier climbed.”
“So we’ll be paying 100 crowns a month,” Wyn said.
“For now,” John whispered.
Gregory nodded. “It’s to pay for upkeep here in the guild house and benefits you’ll see soon. Also, you are expected to contribute five items per tier climbed to the benefit of the guild to be inspected for vault storage or to be sold and replaced back into the guild. Any items outside of that is yours. There are no rarity expectations.”
Wyn quietly disagreed. He didn’t see a single green item in the vault outside of the jewelry. But if they climbed in the second tier consistently, it wouldn’t be too big of a problem.
“That’s a steep price,” Cedric said.
“Not as steep as others, I assure you,” Gregory said. “On the other hand, you all will have access to the vault to see if there are items that could better suite you than the ones you’re currently using. Whatever you decide to take, though, needs to be exchanged evenly by rarity. You’ll have trading hall priority for trades and item purchases or sells via the guild exchange, and we have a crafter on standby with some basic recipes to use monster drops for potions, keys, and some green rarity items. And the perks include meals, drink, information, and camaraderie.”
“That sounds wonderful,” John said, sitting in one of the seats.
There was a knock at the door, and Nigel poked his head through the cracked opening. “Are you ready?”
“Excellent timing,” Gregory said. “Everyone, we finally have the time for you all to meet your sixth member.”
Wyn and the others suddenly jerked their heads to the guild leader. Wyn was the first to speak. “They’re here already?”
“Yes. Please welcome her in, Nigel.”
Nigel stepped inside the room and waved the Climber behind him inside. Tasha gasped and Wyn felt his heart drop.
No. No, no, no. Wyn felt words trying to come out of his mouth but they were stuck in his throat, blocked by confusion, frustration, and hatred.
“Everyone,” Gregory continued, “please welcome tier two Climber and Barbarian, Lucy.”